Located along the beautiful southern coast of the island, we find the Ribeira Brava Lighthouse in the municipality of Ribeira Brava. For further information about the island, please read “Things To Do In Madeira“. For a guide to Funchal, please refer to “Funchal Madeira Things To Do“.
This unassuming, quadrangular lighthouse, painted in striking red and white, has rested atop a promontory west of the port since the 1930s, serving as a guardian that watches over the seafarers.
- Coordinates: 32.668787, -17.064731
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It is one of the most charming and tranquil tourist attractions in Ribeira Brava. Its panoramic view is an ode to the infinite ocean that stretches across the horizon and the colorful village below. It is a place that inspires peace. One can capture a stunning sunset and listen to the waves.
As an old lighthouse keeper, it spends its days and nights watching over the sea and the seagulls. We enter the interior via a staircase from the dock or a road around the promontory.
Take advantage of the other attractions in Ribeira Brava, such as the Madeira Ethnographic Museum, which showcases the culture and history of the island, the São Sebastião Viewpoint, which offers a breathtaking view of the village and the sea.
The Church of São Bento is a beautiful example of religious architecture from the 15th century, and the former São Bento Fort houses a tourist information office.
The Ribeira Brava Bathing Complex is a leisure space on the west coast of Madeira that offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy sunbathing and swimming at the Ribeira Brava pebble beach, protected by breakwaters. The complex also has pools for adults and children.
For accommodation in Ribeira Brava, check the Cheerfulway Bravamar Hotel, which has comfortable rooms, a swimming pool, and a sea view.
In the village, we have two popular restaurants: the Borda D’Água Restaurant, located in the bathing complex, which serves fish and traditional Madeiran dishes, and the Restaurant & Grill Muralha Terrace with a panoramic view of the sea and the best octopus “à lagareiro” on the island.
Things to do near Ribeira Brava:
Exploring the surroundings of Ribeira Brava, we find several unmissable attractions:
Located on a left-hand bend on the road from Campanário, this lookout offers a stunning panoramic view stretching from Ponta do Sol to Ribeira Brava. It’s like floating above the island and observing the ocean and the village coastline with a privileged view.
Just 5 km from Ribeira Brava, we discover the charming and picturesque Ponta do Sol Beach, a small pebble beach on the west coast. Protected from wind and waves, it offers temperate waters all year round.
It is an artificial beach with sand imported from Morocco and protected by breakwaters. The waters are calm and warm, providing a perfect environment for sunbathing and swimming.
A few kilometres away, the Fajã Teleférico takes us to a small and magical pebble beach, where the sunset is unforgettable.
This viewpoint is home to Europe’s highest cliff, with an incredible vertical drop of over 500 meters to the ocean below.
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